Knitting-machine.



J. A. MILLS.

\ v KNITTING'MAGHINB.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

2o 7 E JIIIILI [ill 28 9 27: ?5 I Z 11 & 51 50 12 29 a c I V 15 ///lV/lT/ J. A. MILLS; KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1912.

Patnted Jan. 13, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. A. MILLS.

KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION-FILED MAB. 9, 1912.

a sung-SHEET a.

Patented Jan.'13,1914.

JOSEPH ALFRED MILLS,

or LOUG-HIBOROUGH, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB or oNn-mm? 'ro MOSES MELLOR & soNsLIMITED, or NOTTINGHAM, ENemNni KNIITING=MAGHINE Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

Application filed March 9,1912. Serial No. 682,568.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, Josnrn: AmmuMILLs. a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and

' resident of'Loughborough, in the county of circular latch needlerib'knittin rib to plain by decreasingthe number of loops in a courseand in which the character of the work can be changed from one kind ofrib to another kind of rib byincreasing or decreasing the number ofloops in a course. The present invention has for its object improvementsin the means for and in the method of automatically transferring loopsin the method of operatin from 'the rihber needles to the cylinderneedles, improvementsin the ,means for and the needles and points at thetransferof e loops and improvements in the general construction andarrangement of the'improved knitting mame. In the drawings, Figure 1 isthe sectional elevation of a circular knitting machine as constructedfor the purpose of carrying out this invention, Fig. 2is a part sectionof the ribber dial, Fig. 3 is a section through the dial andcylinderillustrating the position of the needles and transfer point for ordinaryknitting, Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the position of the.needles and points when loops are being transferred, Fig. 5 is a plan ofa transfer point, Fig. 6 is a development of the ordinary knitting cams,Fig. 7 is a development of the cylinder transfer cams,

Fi .8 is a plan of'the ribber dial knitting and transfer cams,- and Fig.9 isa plan of the cams for the transfer points.

The needle cylinder 1, Fig. 1, is carried from the machine table 2 inthe usual manner and is surrounded by the knitting cam ring 3 which isprovided with-gear teeth 4 by and through which it is driven. The smkers4 are fitted to slide in the sinker ring 5 which is attached to thecylinder 1 and there is a sinker cam ring 6for actua ing the sinkers andsuch ring is'rotated by an arm 7 which is attached to the cam cylinder3, and carries the yarn. guide 8. The knitting cams are shown in Fig. 6and are of the ?type usually employed in machines which are adapted toreciprocate for the knitting of the heel and toe. Attached to the sinkercam ring 6 there is an arm 9 which carries the ribber dial 10 and itsconnected mechanisms. Passing through the boss 11 0f the so arm 9 thereis a hollow spindle 12 on which the ribber dial cam plate 13 is fittedto revolve, and mounted on the reduced end of the spindle there is theribber dial 10 which is secured thereto by the nut 14. Fitted to 5revolve freely on the boss of the dial 10 there is a disk 15 whichcarries the cams 16 Fig. 9 for actuating the transfer points 17 Fig. 5.For rotating the disk 15 whenever it is desired to efl'ect a transfer ofloops there is an arm 18 which engages with a pin 19011 the underside ofthe disk 15 and is carried by a central spindle 20 at the upper end ofwhich there is a toothed gear wheel 21 which is geared by anintermediate wheel 22 to a toothed wheel 23 which is free to revolve onan axle 245, and this axle isfree to rotate in a fixed bracket 25. Fixedto the upper end of the boss ll-there is another toothed gear wheel 26which is geared by an intermediate toothed wheel 27 to a toothed wheel28 which is fixed upon the spindle 24' and by this arrangement thespindle 24 makes one revolution for each revolution of the machine. Theribber cam plate 13 is revolved from the frame 9 through an arm 29. anda pin 30, the said pin being fitted to slidein a boss 31 clear of thefarm 29 so that the cam 'plate13 remains at rest when plain circularwork is being made. The movements of the pin '30 are controlled in anysuitable way. For instance; I hawk represented it as being acted upon bya' spring a that tends to force the pin outward and into the ,pathvofthe arm 29; A pegor projection I) carried by the pin is seated in anangular slot 0 formed in the hollow 31. When: the peg 6 lies in the anar portion of the slot the pin is retracte and held clear of the arm 29so that then the cam plate 13 remains at rest and plain circular workwill be knitted. The intermediate wheels 22' and 27 revolve on axlescarried by an arm. 32 which forms a bearing forthe lower end of the axle24' and attached to the enlarged end'of the spindle 12 by; which- 2means the spindle is held stationary. The? enlarged upper end of thespindle '24 is made hollow and has a hole 33. The knit tin yarn isthreaded through the hollow en of the spindle 24 and through the hole 33and is then passed through an eye 35 to 5 the yarn guide 8. By thisarrangement the yarn is guided clear of the mechanism on the arm 9 andsince the axle 24 rotates at the same speed as the machine the hole 33is always maintained in the same position relatively to the eye 35 andthe yarn guide.

The spindle 24 is also provided with a boss 36 which carries a pin 37-which can be depressed to engage with a lug 38 on the wheel 23 and whenthis is done the wheel 23 is coupled to the spindle 24 and motion isgiven'to the cam disk 15 below the ribber dial.

The knitting cams Fig. 6 occupy about one-half of the cam cylinder andthe transfer cams Fig. 7 the other part. These transfer cams comprise aslide 39 which can be pushed into the path of the butts on,the

cylinder needles and two spring switches 40- and 41. During ordinaryknitting all the needles pass over the switches 40 and 41 but when atransfer is to be effected the slide 39' is pushed into the path of theneedle butts, which are then directed downward to de 7 press the switch40 and pass into the transfer cam race 42. The action of the slide. 39draws the cylinder needle below the ribber needles which are thenadvanced and the cylinder needles are afterward raised through the loopson the ribber, at the point 43. The

cylinder needles are then depressed and pass under the switch 41 back tothe ordinary knitting cams.

The ribber dial cams Fig. 8 are shown in the position they occupy duringthe transfer of the loops and as arranged for transferring the loopsfrom the needles in, say, one-half of the dial, and the butts on suchneedles are shorter than the butts on the other needles. The cam disk 13is provided with a switch 44 by which all the needles are directed fromthe knitting path 45 to the transfer position 46 and. there is also apivoted half thickness cam 47 which is moved to the position shown,

so that the short butted needles pass through the groove 48 instead offollowing the knitting track to the feeding position 49. I

The knitting and transfer cams herein described are constructed andarranged in the same manner as other similar cams in this 7 typeofmachine, and they may be fitted with catches for holding them in theirtransfer position, and with springs for returning the cams to theirnormal position and there may be, any usual mechanism for automatically'60 releasing the cams from their holding catches.

The ribber dial 10, Fig. 2 is provided with the usual radial needletricks or grooves 50 and there is a lower flange 51 the upper surface 52of which is inclined or curved upis a loop retaining projection 55.

v56 is withdrawn and the ward. At the bottom of the tricks and fitted toslide therein there are the transfer instruments 17 the front ends ofwhich are curved or shaped on the underside to fit the curve 52 of theflange, 51. These transfer instruments terminate in a point 53' which'is' in a line with the center line of the shank and there is a bend orcrank 54 upon which transfer points form thebottoms of the needletricksand support the ribber needles 56which are also'provided with loopretaining projections 57. On the underside of the transfer point thereis a butt 58 which engages with the cam on the disk 15 below the dial. 7

During ordinary knitting the transfer points remain at rest and theneedles slide to and fro upon them. When however the loops are to betransferred the transfer cams are brought into operation and thecylinder needles 59v are lowered below the ribber needles- 56. Theselatter are then moved forwarduntil the needle latch is clear of the loopd and at or about the; same time the transfer point is a-dvanced,|and asit rises up the flange 52 toward the position shown in Fig: 4 the loop aupon the needle is stretched, so that the transfer point can enter suchloop with certainty. The needle and point are then advanced until theloop is opened or stretched horizontally between the loop retainers 57and 55 and has been carried beyond the front part of the needle 59. Theneedle ,59-'is then raised through the stretched loop a'after which theneedle op' left upon the point and the needle 59.- The point may then bewithdra wn and the loop be left upon the cylinder needle, or' thisneedle may first be lowered until it is clear of the point so that thepoint can be withdrawn without be ing strained as it passes the cylinderneedle and without tending to bend this needle.

Itwill be seen that the transfer instrument operates in immediateconjunction with" that needle .from which the loop is to be transferred.This enables me to arrange the point of the transfer instrument in linewith the nefiile or in such relation to the loop that itenters thecenter thereof, as distill-- guished from entering at one side of .thecenter, as has been proposed in other machines.

My invention is particularly adapted for use in fine gage knittingmachines where the needles are fine and arranged close together and theloops about the needles are small. This makes it extremely desirable,ifnot imperative, that the transferring instrument shall be insertedinto the loop at its very center andthat the end of such instrumentThese shall be small or sharp, and, as stated, that the instrument shallbe arranged in prox- In operatingthe machine herein described the needlecarrying the loop that is to be transferred is moved vertically at thesame time that it is thrust forward longitudinally so as to stretch theloop it carries, opening it sufiiciently to receive the end of thetransfer instrument. This latter is then moved and operates to stretchthe loop in a direction transverse to the stretching or opening impartedby the vertical movement of the needle just referred to, so that theother needle, the one to which the loop is to be transferred, and whichmust necessarily be.

to one side of the center of the loop as originally carried by the firstmentioned needle, in order that it may pass such needle,may freely passthrough the open loop and assume position to receive the loop when thefirst mentioned needle and transferring instrument arewithdrawn. r

Claims.

1. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a ribber dialhaving radial needle tricks, the bottoms of which are curved upwardlytoward their outer ends, ribber struments caused to enter the stretchedloops.

2. In a circular latch needle rib knitting machine, the combination of agrooved cylinder, knitting needles supported in the grooves thereof,means for operating said needles, a grooved ribberdial, ribber needlesarranged in the grooves of the ribber dial, means for operating theribber needles, transfer instruments mounted in the grooves along withthe needles of one of the said sets, the said transfer instrumentshaving.

" pointed ends adapted to enter the loops on to enter the said stretchedloops, and to open them further by. the engagement of the said 'latei'alprojections with the loops, :the said transfer instruments beingarranged -to receive the loops cast, off by the said needles and holdthem stretched for the entry of the needles of the other set,

' strument consistin 3, In a circular latch needle rib knitting machine,the combination of ribber needles,

plain knitting needles, means for operating the said sets of needles,respectively, transfer instruments associated with the needles of thatset from which the loops are to be transferred, having pointed endsarranged in line with and in immediate proximity to the said needles andhaving also lateral projections, means for moving the last said needlesvertically when a transfer is to be made whereby the loops which theycarry are stretched in one direction, and means for inserting thetransfe-rinstruments into the said stretched loops whereby they operateto further stretch the loops in a different direction from what theywere stretched by the said vertical movements of the needles. 4. In acircular latch needle rib knitting machine, the combination of a set ofribber needles, a set of plain lmitting needles, means for operatin thesaid sets of needles, respectively, trans er instruments associated withthe needles of one set, each transfer inof a bar arranged parallel withthe nee c with whichit is associated and having a pointed end in linewith and in proxlmity to the said needle, and having also a laterallybent portion back of the pointed end and a loop-retaining'projectioncarried by the said laterally projecting portion, and means foroperating the transfer instruments independently of the needles.

5; In a circular latch needle rib knitting machine, the combination of aset of plain lmittin needles, a set of ribber needles, groove supportsin which the said sets of needles are respectively mounted, the groovesof one set being curved near their outer ends, means for operating thesets of needles respectively, transfer instrumentsv associated with theneedles of that set which are in the grooves havingcurved bottoms,

the parts of the said instruments engaging therewith being shaped tocorrespond with the said curved bottoms of the grooves and the transferinstruments serving as bottoms or supports on which the needles rest,and independent means for operating the said transfer instruments, theparts cooperating as described whereby, when the transfer instruments'are moved forward they first move the needles associated with themvertically to'stretch the loops which they carry and then enter the saidloops at the centers thereon- 4 6. In a circular' knitting combinationof a ribber dia a transfer instrument? working below the dial needlesand adapted to raise the needle and stretch the loop upon it when movedforward, the dial needles, loop retainers on the needles and transferinstruments adapted to carl'll'lyg the loop beyond'the cylinder needle,a cra machine the on the transfer instrument for opening the loop andtransfer cams for actuating the needles and the transfer instrumentssubstantially as herein set forth.

7. In a circular knittin machine the combination of the ribber dlal,needles and transfer instrument in such dial, knitting cams foractuating the needles, cams for actuating the transfer instruments, afixed spindle to which the dial is attached, a central spindle fordriving the cams for the transfer instruments, a toothed gear wheelwhich rotates with the machine, a

,which one of the said Wheels can be coupled tothe axle for driving thecams below the ribber dial substantially as hereln set forth.

JOSEPHALFRED MILLS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. POTTER, -REGINALD C. NEWSTEAD.

